Blockade of Floating Island (Century of Death)
The '''Blockade of Floating Island '''was a minor conflict between the Bilgewater Cartel and the Second Republic of Dalaran. Prelude After the destruction of Dalaran by Overlord Archimonde, the magi of the Kirin Tor started searching for a new settlement. Various options were considered, among them, Nethergarde Keep, the Damaris Keep on Alterac Valley and Stormwind City. In early 9 ADP, the Bilgewater Cartel associate Baron Runwheel purchased all of the zeppelin towers in Alterac Valley from occupational authorities. The Alliance of Lordaeron had placed the towers, constructed to serve the logistical network of the orcs during Alterac's brief alliance with the Orcish Horde, under the so called White Zone (the zone of the former Kingdom of Alterac occupied by the forces of the Kingdom of Lordaeron). The White Zone authorities sold the towers, which they considered worthless, to Runwheel Enterprises at the bargain price of 7.000.000 valleycoins. The towers, sold under the entity of the Alterac Flight Network (AFN) were renamed as Alterac Valley Air Traffic or AVAT. Kirin Tor Intelligence analysed the possibility to take theeir entire city afloat and place it over the Alterac Valley, a key position in trade and supply lines which would also allow for a future takeover of Dalaran's former possession on the ground. Baron Nizzlebog, Manager of AVAT, considered this movement as highly detrimental to his company, as the dalaranians would take control over air traffic and start charging tolls and rights of passage, and enforcing their regulations. The Violet Eye took a flying atolon (the Floating Island) to the skies of southern Alterac Valley. Nizzlebog sent some twelve air fighters to patrol around the rock. The war When Bilgewater spies informed that Kirin Tor Intelligence was giving positive review for the project of a floating settlement over Alterac, Nizzlebog lost his patience and requested a broken zeppeling to be repaired, armed, manned and placed to patrol Floating Island. Violet Eye agents responded by firing ice bullets at the zeppelin, forcing it to distance itself from the atolon. By the end of 23 ADP, there were no casualties and no significant losses. Yet, when Dalaran sent a team of dwarves to transport food to the island, it was confiscated by AVAt and the dwarves were sent home after paying homage. Archmage Dorin Copperbolt attempted a rapid resolution by bombarding the goblin settlement on a nearby hill. He and eight more mages released a fire rain over the colony of AVAT employees, but Nizzlebog responded aggresively, by sending three armed zeppelins with mercenaries to take over the island. Floating Island was bombarded with cannonfire. After the magical field surrounding the city was broken, the mercenaries landed and rampaged the settlement. Copperbolt apparated with the survivors of the massacre in the surface, only to see the island set afire. Three days after, Copperbolt attempted to retake the atolon by apparating into a nearby zeppelin tower and taking the employees and clients as hostages. The zeppelin then on the tower was crewed and departed for battle over Floating Island. The goblin forces restrained from firing after learning that onw of their towrs was hostage. Copperbolt met with Nizzlebog to negotiate a truce. But an agreement couldn't be reached and Copperbolt decided to execute three goblins. Enfuriated, Nizzlebog dispatched a message to his boss on Undermine to send reinforcements. Runwheel sent a whole battalion of war ogres and an airship of the line. Copperbolt was ready to proceed to battle, but an order came from Dalaran demanding him to withdraw and release the hostages. Aftermath The Senate impeached Copperbolt for his excessive measures. A Kirin Tor Intelligence team was dispatched to terminate the spell on Floating Island, causing it to fall down to the ground. Ansirem Runeweaver, on business mission to Blackwater Bay, contacted Baron Revilgaz and granted him a concession over the zepeling towers "under the authority of the Allied Committee of Occupation". With the approval of the representatives of Stromgarde and the Lordaeron Remnant, Revilgaz was granted legal authority to expel the Bilgewater venturers with the support of Alliance ground forces. Alliance citizens started enforcing the embargo on AVAT and, after a while, Nizzlebog's successor was forced to sell the company to one ov Revilgaz's moguls. Since then, an alliance has existed between the Steamwheedle Cartel and the Kirin Tor.